Govt in a state of preparedness for deluge, ‘earmarks Rs 300 cr’ to keep floods at bay

The department has initiated projects under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), where the financial burden is shared by both the state and the central government. This collaborative effort aims to expedite crucial flood prevention measures, including strengthening dhussi bandhs, cleaning drains, and constructing spurs and studs.

Additionally, funds allocated under the State Disaster Management and Flood Protection Special Head (under drainage department) are being leveraged to enhance flood resilience. The department has purchased 19 earth mover machines, operating round the clock for the first time. These machines play a pivotal role in executing various tasks swiftly and effectively, ensuring that flood-prone areas are adequately fortified before the onset of monsoon, said drainage department sources.

In Punjab there are mainly three perennial rivers – the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi – and one non-perennial river – Ghaggar. Apart from these, there are several “choes, nadies, and khads” (all seasonal streams) which flow into these rivers. According to the department, there are more than half-dozen major nullahs in the state including Buddha Nullah, and over 14,000-km-long canal system.

Majority of these water sources remain unclean, and they create havoc when there is heavy rain, resulting in several breaches, spilling of water due to non-maintenance of canals and nullahs. All these water sources are required to be managed by the drainage department.

Sources in the department have indicated that vulnerable points prone to flooding in these water sources have been identified.

“The anticipated expenditure for these initiatives is between Rs 250 crore and Rs 300 crore and the government has asked the department to carry on as the funds are being released accordingly.

The emphasis is on to safeguarding lives and livelihoods from the devastating effects of floods,” said a senior officer in the drainage department, requesting anonymity.

Apart from these measures, the desilting of the rivers has also begun at some places in the state. “We have been instructed to prioritise repairs at the most vulnerable points first, before addressing less critical areas,” said a drainage department official from the Doaba region. “Currently, we are in the process of cleaning some major drains. Also, vulnerable sections of the dhussi bandh along the Beas and the Sutlej are also being dealt with.”

Sources indicated that Punjab has approximately 1,500 km of drains, the majority of them urgently require cleaning, alongside maintenance at hundreds of flood-prone sites. The focus, at present, remains on prioritised projects. Highlighting the common cause of floods, another drainage department officer said, “Most flooding incidents are not solely due to rainfall but also because of blocked drains and weakened bundhs near rivers and nullahs that lead to widespread waterlogging.”

Punjab Water Resources Minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra said that the flood preparedness effort has been going on for several months, with the government intensifying it in the recent past. “For the first time, the department has procured its own fleet of earth-moving machines, operating day and night to clear drains, remove silt, and fortify vulnerable points,” he said.

Heavy rainfall in July 2023 had resulted in severe floods in Punjab. On July 9, 2023, incessant rain had prompted a high alert across various districts of Punjab. Patiala and Dera Bassi were the worst-affected, with inundated fields and caved-in roads, causing significant traffic disruptions. With heavy rain persisting for three days, Jalandhar too bore the brunt of floods on July 11. Around 14,400 villages were hit hard by floods in Punjab then.

For the record, the Sutlej enters Punjab near Nangal, enters the plains at Ropar, passes through districts Ludhiana, Jalandhar and joins River Beas at Harike before crossing over to Pakistan. Buddha Nullah, a tributary of River Sutlej, is located in Ludhiana. Ravi River enters Punjab at Madhopur in Pathankot, then passes through Gurdaspur and enters Pakistan.

Ghaggar, a rain-fed river, originates from Dagshai village in Himachal Pradesh’s Solan district and flows down to Haryana, Punjab, and then ends up in Rajasthan. The river and its tributaries – Markanda and Tangri – pass from Kalka, Panchkula, Ambala, Kaithal (in Haryana) and then enters Punjab’s Patiala, Sangrur districts, it goes to Sirsa in Haryana and again comes back near Sardulgarh in Punjab and then enters Hanuman Garh district of Rajasthan.